Guide to Resume Margins Best Practices

You're preparing for a job hunt! Exciting times lie ahead, but first, you need to dust off your resume, update it with all your latest accomplishments, and present it in an appealing manner. 

Part of that presentation includes ensuring you’re using the right resume margins all the way around. Otherwise, you risk your resume going into the trash bin – not the result you’re seeking.

Why resume margins matter

Imagine a recruiter, sitting in their office, wading through a tall stack of resumes, trying to find the ideal applicant for their vacancy. Recruiters are busy people – in fact, it has been shown that the average time they spend reviewing a resume for the first time is six to seven seconds. 

That's not a long time to make a great first impression. 

So it's easy to understand why the layout of your resume matters. You need to make it as easy as possible for a recruiter to skim through your document to pick out the pertinent information. That involves considering issues such as headers, font size, and bullet points – but it also means considering the white space around those things.

An easy-to-read resume features plenty of white space around the content. A solid wall of text is difficult to skim through to pick out the pertinent information, and it's not visually appealing either. So, as well as thinking about the layout of the text, you also need to think about the space around it. 

Enter the humble resume margin. Alongside resume line spacing and font type, margin size is an important consideration when you're deciding on the layout of your most valuable job-search tool.

Top tip: Don't feel that you need to have tiny margins for your resume in order to fit your experience and academic qualifications on one page. That resume rule is outdated, and two pages is now the norm.

What margins should a resume have?

There are some standard rules surrounding resume margins. Of course, you can’t make a great first impression if you have resume margins that are so tiny your text is crammed from one side of the paper to the other. That gives off a look of desperation – or a sense of grandiosity – where you think you have to fit everything you’ve ever done onto one or two pages. 

Conversely, neither do you want margins so broad that it's clear you haven't given enough thought to the words, or don't have the experience to fill the space available.

With that in mind, it’s best to keep your resume margins between a minimum of 0.5 inches and a maximum of 1 inch. Also, opposite margins should mirror each other. 

In other words, your left and right margins should be the same, and your top and bottom margins should be the same. It is okay, however, if your top and bottom margins are wider than your side margins, and vice versa. Generally speaking, choose resume margins all the way around that make your document look visually balanced. 

Top tip: Spend a bit of time experimenting with different margin sizes to see what works best for your resume.

How do I change the margins on my resume?

Margins for new documents in Word and Google Docs are automatically set to 1 inch, so you’re good to go with them as is. Or, you’ll need to adjust them if you want to make them smaller. 

Microsoft Word

To change the page layout and margins for a resume in Microsoft Word:

• Navigate to the “Layout” menu at the top of the screen.

• Select the “Margins” dropdown near the left-hand side.

• Choose from a pre-set margin size or click “Custom Margins.”

• If you select “Custom Margins,” enter the margins you desire in the dialogue box that pops up.

• Click “OK.”

Google Docs

To change the page layout and margins for a resume in Google Docs:

• Click on “File” near the top left-hand corner of the site

• Navigate to “Page Setup.” 

• Go to “Margins” near the bottom of the Page Setup box.

• Change the margins for each side in the dialogue box that pops up.

• Click “OK.” Alternatively, if you want to create default margins for future pages, click “Set As Default” and then “OK.”

What are the best resume margins for an ATS?

You may have heard about those pesky applicant tracking systems, or ATS. They're a digital filing system that recruiters use to store and track applications. To save time, they also help filter out resumes based on the employer's parameters. 

When considering your margin sizes, your only concern should be for the person reading the document. A great layout makes their life easier – which in turn improves your chances of progressing!

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How to choose resume margins for different types of jobs

In some instances, your industry or field might dictate the margin size you use.  

Traditional jobs

Traditional fields, such as HR, healthcare, finance, and law, tend to lean toward 1-inch resume margins being the norm. That said, it’s still okay to go with narrower margins if you need the space on your resume to highlight your work accomplishments and skills. These are the most critical aspects of your resume.

If your content makes you shine as a viable employee, hiring managers are less likely to pay attention to whether you’re using 0.5-inch, 0.75-inch, or 1-inch margins. 

Creative jobs

You have a bit more flexibility in terms of your margins when it comes to creative jobs, like marketing, social media, and film. Still, only in rare instances where you’re making a clear design choice should you go narrower than 0.5 inches or wider than 1 inch for your margins.  

Also, even in creative jobs, it’s best to stick with a standard resume format, since creative templates can be rejected by an ATS. 

How to choose resume margins for different formats

In most professions, it’s best to use a standard resume format. The three options include chronological, hybrid, and functional formats, with the chronological and hybrid formats being the most popular. Regardless of the format you choose, adhere to the 0.5- to 1-inch margin rule.

Should I justify the margins on my resume?

Justified margins are ones where the text butts right up to the margin. There are two schools of thought on whether you should fully justify the text of your resume:

• Justified margins (where the left and right side of the text line up perfectly with the resume margins) look smart and professional, so it's clear you've taken the time and attention to present your resume well.

• Unjustified margins (where the left side is lined up and the right side is jagged) are more inclusive, as people with dyslexia find the text easier to read; they may also be suitable for less traditional roles, as they look more casual.

An important point to bear in mind, no matter whether you decide to use full justify or left justify, is to keep the layout consistent. Don’t use full justification on one part and left justification on another part.

More resume margin formatting tips

Who doesn't like a bonus? How about some extra formatting tips for your resume to make sure the document you're presenting looks as impressive as it sounds:

• Choose a standard font, in 10-12 point, with slightly larger headings

• Avoid using a creative template you find on Word or Canva – they're not designed by recruiters or resume writers, so they tend not to perform as well

• Write numbers as digits rather than words, as digits jump off a page when it's skim-read

• Don't use text boxes, tables, icons, or logos – they aren't always read accurately by an ATS

• Avoid putting text in headers and footers – the ATS might not see it there

• Unless you’re an actor where your look matters for the job you’re applying to, never include a photo – recruiters have biases, and the US has anti-discrimination laws, so they're irrelevant at best

Little things make a big difference

Margins are just one of the many things you need to think about when you're preparing your resume. They may seem trivial, but they're part of the puzzle that comes together to create a picture of who you are as a professional. Select the best resume margins to present the best marketing document possible to land the interview. 

Are you selecting the correct margin size for your resume? Submit it for a free resume review to find out!

This article was originally written by Jen David. It has been updated by Ronda Suder.